What is the significance of Marbury v Madison and Brown v Board of Education of Topeka Kansas?

Answer 1

Marbury v. Madison confirmed the fact that courts have the power of judicial review.

In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court used this power to declare all laws permitting segregation in the school system in Kansas unconstitutional because they violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution.

The significance of the two cases together is that in Marbury the Supreme Court confirmed that the power existed and in Brown the Supreme Court used it to declare segregation laws unconstitutional.

Answer 2

Marbury v Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. This case solidified the Court's role as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution and empowered it to protect individual rights and limit the actions of the legislative and executive branches.

Brown v Board of Education (1954) was a landmark case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This decision overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. It challenged the notion of racial inequality and set a precedent for desegregating schools and other public institutions.